'Total carnage': Police 'mourn' loss of doughnuts after they fall from truck

US police in films and TV programmes are often portrayed as having a sweet tooth for doughnuts - The Simpsons being just one example.

So it may be no surprise when some officers in Georgia claimed they were in "mourning" after dozen of the tasty treats fell from a delivery truck and ended up along the kerb and in the gutter.

The officers from Brookhaven said the Krispy Kremes were not able to be eaten and were a "total loss" amid the "carnage".

They said they arrived at the scene quickly but "could not beat the five second rule" - the hygiene myth that you can only safely consume food if it's been on the ground for less than that time.

Officers put up photos of the aftermath of the spill on Facebook, showing some of the doughnuts on the side of the road.

The post read: "Just moments ago, your Brookhaven police officers answered the call each of us fears most.

"Dozens of doughnuts fell from a Krispy Kreme delivery truck as it drove along Peachtree Road. BPD rushed to the scene, but to no avail. We found total carnage; doughnuts scattered along the curb and into gutter - THE GUTTER, people!

"The response time was stellar, but we couldn't beat the five second rule. We are deeply saddened to report that the donuts were a total loss.

"As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time, and the senseless loss of these delicious pastries has deeply affected all of our officers."

The post ended with a simple request: "We ask that you keep our department in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn this terrible moment. OnlyHalfKidding."

Luckily for the Brookhaven police, a group of fellow officers came to the rescue in their time of need.

The department shared an update showing a box of doughnuts that were delivered to their offices, with the caption: "Shout out to our friends at Gainesville police department for this amazing batch of sympathy doughnuts."

In a statement obtained by Fox News, a spokesperson for Brookhaven police has since confirmed there were no non doughnut-related injuries as a result of the spillage.

"It appears that the doughnuts fell from the open door of a Krispy Kreme truck. No one was injured and no crashes were reported.

"Our officers got the debris from the roadway and we thought it was a good chance to engage our community through a light-hearted post!"